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Dang, I forgot about Au Pied de Cochon and I've eaten there! My favorite thing about that cookbook, apart from the mouthwatering food, is the hilarious illustrations. I can't remember the artist's name, but his twisted work totally reminds me of Ralph Steadman.

ive eaten at the french laundry, ad hoc, and bouchon and to be honest i enjoyed ad hoc the most. the laundry is and will always be one of the greatest memories in my life and i got to share it with my wonderful wife (also a very talented professional chef) on our honeymoon but the atmosphere is not what i like about going out to eat. that is why i can even compare the experience at ad hoc to that of the french laundry.

i feel that au pied de couchon would be just my place. that is how i cook and how i like to eat. rich, rich, rich...

The first cookbook that opened my eyes, about technique was, Shirley Corriher's "Cook Wise". John Thorne, a talented writer, shares his views on a variety of food topics, including recipes, in "Outlaw Cook". Alton Brown's work, t.v. shows and cook books, gives all sorts of insight on technique. Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio", has an interesting idea, that once you understand how the ratio between different ingredients work, you can work the ratio, until it meets your tastes. It's easier to write down or remember a ratio then it is a recipe. This stuff may be old news to people working pro kitchens, but its new to us home cooks.

May not fit the definition of cook book, as there are no "recipes", but my favorite is "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking" by Michael Ruhlman. Rather than recipes for specific dishes, Ruhlman gives us the basic ratios at the root of cooking, and the relationships of the components. 5 parts flour, 3 parts water, a little salt and yeast, equals...Bread. 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar equals vinaigrette. After than you just add your seasonings and adjustments, according to your own experience and intuition. He does this for doughs (bread,pasta,cookie, etc.), batters, sauces, stocks, sausage, custards, et al.

I recently bought one of these for myself and one for my daughter (who cooks professionally), and we both love it. For those of you who are so experienced that you already hold all this in your head, it my be redundant, but for many of us, this book is a godsend , if one wants to be able to cook "by the seat of your pants". Pros might find it useful as well since, after all, Ruhlman collaborated with Keller (French Laundry Cookbook) and Ripert (Return to Cooking), Michael Symon on his first cookbook (Live to Cook), and others, so I assuming he knows *** he's talking about. <g> At least to a humble home cook, this book is worth many times the eight bucks, incl. shipping, from Amazon. Here's a good review which describes it far beyond my capability. http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/mic...hlman_-_ratio/

Just discovered Adam Perry and have "Serious BBQ" on hold request at the library (which I always do before investing in a book due to S.S. income. ;-) Raichlen's condescending manner drives me crazy, especially when accompanied by his $20K worth of BBQ equip. and tools, not to mention his meal tips involving 150 bucks worth of lobster and tender loin....just add truffles. <g>

I know it has been mentioned before but I love the Ad Hoc cook book by Keller. Every recipe is relatively simple and very flavorful. He also includes a lot of tips and tricks that have helped me with my cooking over the last year and a half.